Last spring, I read travel writer Jonny Bealby's Silk Dreams, Travelled Road. He'd auditioned for a 'quixotic stranger' to ride with him from Pakistan to the Caspian Sea, through Central Asia, on a sort of extended blind date. The plan was that he and the woman would loosely follow the old Silk Road and along the way, so Bealby hoped, fall madly in love.
But in the tradition of best-laid plans, the trip - and the pair's relationship - were beset by difficulties. Still, the scenery sounded terrific and the book was a page-turner. More than any weighty historical tome on the region ever could, it had me itching for adventure, so imagine my delight when I learned Bealby runs a travel company called Wild Frontiers - and, yes, there was room for one more on its Silk Road Mountains and Towns trip. Granted, it wouldn't follow exactly the journey Bealby took in his book - he travelled on horseback while we'd be touring, hiking and horse-riding (if desired) in Kyrgyzstan, and making a visit to the main cities in Uzbekistan - but the essential flavour was there.
Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, declared its independence in 1991. Its neighbours are Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and China. The country is a paradise for lovers of the great outdoors, offering some of the world's finest alpine scenery, notably in the Mountains of Heaven - the Tian Shan - which are as stunning as the Himalayas but far less visited. Kyrgyzstan is also synonymous with horses, eagles and nomads who shelter in yurts on mountain pastures.
Who goes on such a trip? If our 11-strong group is anything to go by, well-travelled types ranging from thirtysomething singletons to retired couples. At the airport in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, we introduce ourselves and size each other up. Among the group is a Lebanese-American theatre director; a half-Welsh, half-Polish lawyer; a Kiwi schoolteacher; an Australian personal assistant; an eminent Scottish doctor; and a Rotary Club member (who even attends a meeting on our last night in Bishkek).
As for me, I'm of Indian heritage (I'm delighted to see my Asian looks elicit complicit smiles from the locals). The city has a laid-back feeling to it; the streets wide and clean. Bishkek is also home to the bustling Osh bazaar. On the first day, we snake through it, nibbling our way through the food stalls. I munch pickles, sniff paper cones filled with spices, sample kurut (salty, dried balls of yoghurt) and tear bits from huge wheels of naan bread, thicker than the Indian variety.
The diversity of faces is fascinating - from blond Russian to rosy-cheeked Mongolian and everything in between, including one rugged Italian: Dom Mocchi, our charismatic guide, who has a Kyrgyz wife and is based in Bishkek.